RECENT CHANGES

IN LITHUANIAN
CULTURE POLICY Conference for Creative Associations –
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia
AND ARTISTS IN
THE CHANGING
ENVIRONMENT
DAINIUS RADZEVIČIUS
LITHUANIA
• In 2013, after the reform of culture and arts projects funding system the Lithuanian Council for Culture
was founded – an institution for implementation of culture.
• One of the most important first political efforts to change the concept and direction of cultural policy in
order to democratize and strategically strengthen cultural policy was realized by separating cultural
policy formulation and implementation functions and establishment of the Lithuanian Cultural Council.
It has been argued that this has led to a arms length management model in the cultural sector.
• In 2017, with the participation of 43 European
countries, the Cultural and Democracy Indicator
(IFCD) is a very clear link between culture and
democracy. According to the economic value
created by the cultural sector, Lithuania is ahead of
most European countries. However, Lithuania lags
behind the average of other European countries in
terms of accessibility and equilibrium of cultural
activities and services, which in turn also affects
the activity of civil society in Lithuania.
GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS
CULTURE
• March 13, 2017
• The plan for the implementation of the Government Program
approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania also
covers a wide range of areas.
• At that time, Liana Ruokytė-Jonsson, former Minister of Culture,
highlighted three priorities: the strategic role of culture in public
policy and life, the quality and accessibility of cultural services in
the regions, and the reform of cultural management and funding.
• In order to consolidate culture as strategically important for the life of
the state, it was planned to prepare a Law on the Fundamentals of
Lithuanian Cultural Policy, which will clearly regulate and consolidate
the state's obligations to culture. It was also planned to prepare a Law
on Patronage, which would enable new sources of funding for culture
and thus become a catalyst for culture. The plan also provides for the
preparation of the Lithuanian Culture 2018-2030. strategy and a system
for monitoring and analyzing culture and art.more importantly a more
sustainable format.
STRATEGIC FINANCING
DIRECTIONS IN 2019–
2021

• The Lithuanian Council for Culture

(LCC) that started its operations
last June approved its
strategic financing directions for 2
019–2021
. In view of the overall
development of culture in
Lithuania and its social climate,
also with reference to the findings
of the recent years’ studies in the
area of culture, the LCC identified
diversity, education and the
accessibility of culture as its key
strategic directions for financing.
STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVE: DIRECTION I: A balanced and
integrated cultural policy.
INCORPORATI
NG CULTURE
INTO AN OPEN DIRECTION II: Creative
SOCIETY AND personality and a strong
identity society.
THE WELL-
BEING OF THE
POPULATION DIRECTION III: A culture that
creates economic value
STRATEGIC 1. Quality cultural services for
CULTURAL POLICY Lithuanian residents are available
evenly regardless of their place of
PURPOSE: residence.

"INCLUSIVE
CULTURE FOR AN 2. Cities act as vibrant cultural foci.
Their dynamic cultural life
OPEN SOCIETY contributes to the attractiveness of
AND FOR THE the regions.

WELL-BEING OF
3. People working in the cultural sector and
THE those who create culture are rewarded for
their work. The jobs in the sector are
POPULATION." competitive, creating opportunities for
creativity and professional development.
STRATEGIC Cultural activities involve the population, provide
CULTURAL opportunities to develop their cultural and creative abilities,
and enrich their personality.

POLICY
PURPOSE: Cultural activities reinforce public solidarity. Society actively
participates in public discourse, preserving, memorizing and
"INCLUSIVE actualizing its history, creating and strengthening the
identity and traditions of multicultural Lithuania.
CULTURE FOR
AN OPEN
Cultural activities involve people of different ages and sexes
SOCIETY AND and people from different social groups.

FOR THE WELL-

BEING OF THE
POPULATION." The use of cultural resources is envisaged in other sectoral
policies, creating added value in them.
CULTURE 2030: LITHUANIA
CANNOT GUARANTEE THE
TRANSMISSION OF THE MOST
OUTSTANDING WORKS TO
FUTURE GENERATIONS

• Lithuanian museums are not

financially capable of consistently
collecting the works of
contemporary art creators, so the
state cannot guarantee the
transmission of outstanding
cultural and artistic works to
future generations, according to
the culture policy strategy
“Culture 2030”. It was prepared by
the Ministry of Culture.
 CULTURE 2030:
LITHUANIA
CANNOT • According to the Ministry, private
GUARANTEE THE business support, patronage may be
TRANSMISSION OF implemented to solve the problem, but
THE MOST the state has to concentrate its resources
OUTSTANDING and remove regulatory obstacles to
WORKS TO FUTURE support private sponsors.
GENERATIONS
CULTURE 2030

• Attention is drawn to the problem of attracting

sponsors (private individuals). Compared to
Western states, the level of charity, including
cultural patronage, remains low in Lithuania.

• According to the Ministry of Culture, the funds of

the sponsors of state performing arts institutions
in 2017, compared to 2015, decreased by 23%.
This decrease is partly due to the new
restrictions on alcohol advertising launched in
2017.
CULTURE IS LESS INTERESTED
IN MEN AND SENIORS

• The aim is to involve people in different cultural activities -

different age, gender and different social groups - to create
conditions for fostering cultural and creative skills.
• According to the ministry, participation in cultural activities
and consumption of cultural services has been steadily
decreasing among older population groups, women are
engaged in creative activities and use cultural services more
often than men.
REQUIREMENTS ARE HIGH - SALARY IS
EXCEPTIONALLY LOW
• Another aim is a decent wage and appropriate conditions for workers and
creators in the cultural sector. According to the data of the Ministry of
Culture, the average salary of Lithuanian cultural workers is the third lowest in
the European Union after Romania and Bulgaria.
• According to the data of the Department of Statistics, 20,000 Lithuanian
residents work in the cultural sector, of which 13,000 work in the subordinate
institutions of the Ministry of Culture, other ministries and municipalities. This
means that more than a third of cultural workers work in non-governmental
organizations private sector.
• “Comparing wages of Lithuanian
public sector cultural workers with
other areas of public sector services,
lower wages are only for guardians
(non-medical services) specialists and
postal couriers, that is, only in areas
where the required qualification is
minimal. The majority of cultural
workers are subject to the highest
standards of professional excellence
(performers of national concert
venues, theater actors, museum and
librarians), ”noted in the Culture 2030
strategy, adding that poor
remuneration has a major impact on
the attractiveness of jobs in the
sector and has a negative impact on
culture. quality of service, promotes
the outflow of creative resources
from the country.
STEP BY STEP
• This year, the earnings of cultural workers, on the basis of
increased funding and wage increases due to tax changes, will rise
by an average of 88 euros. This is what the Ministry of Culture
says.
• Next year, wages of culture and art and social workers should rise
by 15 percent. This was reported at the end of January by Vice-
Chancellor Deivid Matulion. As a result, it was agreed by a
government commission led by it to discuss a strategy for
increasing public sector wages.
• In 2014-2020, Lithuania received
LTL 469.4 million. EU investment.
Although there were
interinstitutional agreements and
expectations to attract funding not
only for the modernization of
infrastructure but also for cultural
content (soft activities through
other public policy areas).
• This has led to systemic problems
not being addressed in a complex
way. There was not enough
investment in the training of
employees and promotion of
cultural entrepreneurship, lack of
investments in the strengthening
of art and science relations,
innovative solutions improving the
quality of cultural services.
• Creative associations belonging to the Lithuanian
Association of Art Creators often feel marginalized by
government institutions. However, we are
concentrating our members and working creatively.
The formation of Lithuanian cultural policy does not
always take into account the expectations and
problems of creative unions, and their representatives
are often not invited to participate in important
meetings, which discuss issues important to those
organizations.
• The unions that unite artistic creators today are
modern, presenting contemporary art trends, but also
preserving the historical and traditional heritage of an
organization seeking to improve the status of an art
creator in a variety of ways and with rational means.
 Dainius Radzevicius
THE FUTURE
BELONGS TO
THE dainius@dainius.org

CREATORS OF
ART AND
+37061263838
CULTURE

Skype dainius.radzevicius